Who am I that you should give me another chance. Lord, I stumble. I sin. Yet, your mercy is greater than my offense. Your love is beyond my imagination. With a contrite heart I come to you and by your grace you forgive me. You embrace me as if no offense occurred. You raise me up and call me to share your mercy and your love with others for your glory.
It causes me to meditate on your passion. It causes me to try and consider the suffering you endured on my account. It pains me to think of how great your agony was even before your physical torture began. You knew the incredible burden and stain that had been created because of our sin, so much so that you sweat blood. I cannot begin to imagine how much agony is required to actually sweat blood. Yet most of all you were obedient to the Father’s will to suffer, die and rise for the love of me. I cry in contemplating your crucifixion even as I stand as an outsider, an observer of what was happening. The brutality of it all is unimaginable. Yet, you rise and live and love us all.
Forgiveness, Mercy, and Love. I believe that you not only did this for our salvation but for an example to us. You call us to forgiveness, mercy, and love. To think of my sinfulness. The times that I have stumbled beyond belief and yet you forgive me. You send me on my way after receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation feeling like a new person, incredibly loved. There are times when someone does something to me and I am not liking it. Can I immediately move to forgiveness? Your example calls me to forgive! Your incredible unconditional love forgives me before “I am sorry” even comes out of my mouth. How am I not to forgive my trespassers? Forgiveness is a virtue that I must make a priority to live for your glory.
Your mercy is a demonstration of loving us beyond just forgiveness. I reflect on Scripture and how the Father told Moses that He is a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness" (Ex 34:6). Mercy, being slow to take offense and desiring good for those who have hurt us. I must contemplate and take this in always.
Love. Jesus, you said, “I am the vine and you are the branches.” I need you for life and for love. Without you I am nothing. Help my nothingness by receiving your forgiveness, mercy, and love. Help me to follow your example by being slow to anger, merciful and gracious, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.
This day and every day I will do an examen and pray to you with a contrite heart:
Oh my God, I am heartly sorry for having offended thee, and I detest all of my sins because of your just punishment. But most of all, because I have offended you my God, who art all good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve with the help of your grace to sin no more and to avoid the near occasions of sin. Amen.
